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Team-Building and Hidden Power Guide

2. Recognize and appreciate the value of stat-raising and support moves such as Bulk Up, Calm Mind, Reflect, and so on. If you don't balance out your team with those types of moves, you'll probably get your butt kicked by a team that has them.

3. The typed held items, such as Mystic Water, suck. Don't waste your time with them. They only raise the power of attacks of their type by 10%, it's not worth it. Quick Claw also sucks, it only works 8% of the time. Again, not worth it.

4. For held items, you can't go wrong with Leftovers. I realize multiple Leftovers are hard to get without trading with other games and going through the battle tower lots, so Shell Bell is an acceptable alternative. Leftovers is always the best held item, unless your Poke has Rest, in which case the usual choice is Chesto Berry, or unless your Poke knows Thief or Covet, in which case don't have it hold anything.

5. Relying on legendaries on your team may be fun, and there's nothing really wrong with doing so, but don't claim to have any skill as a result of winning battles using them. Legendaries help you develop no skill whatsoever.

Feel free to ask questions, make suggestions, etc.

In-Game Hidden Powers by Toy

I am tired of people saying they dont want Hidden Powers ingame

Because it is to complicated or somthing here is and easy Hidden Power Guide

They are, but they're not used as frequently as Leftovers. What I meant was that you can't go wrong if you choose Leftovers as a held item.

No, you don't need skill to use legendaries. Their stats are so high that they can beat almost anything, they can learn loads of TMs, and require no skill to use to their full potential. You can't claim to be a good battler if your team is full of Mewtwos and Rayquazas.

I'm saying that if people have several legendaries on their team (by this I mean Groudon, Mewtwo, and the like, not necessarily the Regis or the G/S/C trio), it usually means that they aren't that skilled at battling, and are probably the same people who give 3 Water moves to a Swampert and stuff like that.

special sweeper: most fast pokemon with high special attack/good movepool. These Pokemon do well with the attack calm mind. Examples; Alakazam, Starmie, Sceptile

physical sweeper: most tend to be slower, but have a high physical attack/good movepool. These Pokemon do well with attacks like bulk up and swords dance. Examples: Machamp, Metagross, Absol

spiker: lays down spikes so whenever the opponent switches out, the next Pokemon to come in takes damage. This can add up to a lot if spikes is layed down to a maximum of four times (I think). Examples: Glailie, Skarmory, Forretress

rapid spinner: these are rare nowadays for the attack is useful only for spikes. The move will clear away spikes if they are layed down. Examples of rapid spinners: Claydol, Armaldo, Blastoise

Hazer/phazer: a Pokemon who uses haze or psuedohaze (roar and yawn) to either force a switch on the opponent or regulate their stats after they used a move like double team or calm mind. Roar/Whirlwind can be paired with a move like Will O Wisp and Thunderwave to shuffle and cause status ailments. Examples: Altaria (haze), Ninetales (roar, will o wisp), Walrein (yawn).

Tanks are Pokemon who have either a high special defense or defense, or excel at both. They normally have low speed but good staying power and are best as annoyers (ones who would rather use toxic and confuse ray than attacking directly. Examples: Steelix (physical sponge), Blissey (special sponge), Umbreon (both). The first two mentioned can attack also, filling in two roles.

I'm suprised that nobody has touched on Baton Passers. For those that are wondering, Baton Passers are Pokemon that use support moves, and 'pass' them onto another Pokemon in your team via Baton Pass. For example, say you have a Mawille. (who can learn both Iron Defense and Swords Dance, making him a useful BPer) Mawille uses Iron Defense to raise his Defense two levels. Next, he/she 'passes' to Gardevoir, and Pokemon with low Defense stats, (and is slower, than say, Alakazam, so might not get the chance to put up a Reflect as good as a 'Kazam could, which can make all the difference in a battle) which now means that Gardevoir Defense stats have been pumped.

So you see. Baton Passer are very useful, and can free up a space on another Pokemon's move-set. Bear in mind that there are psuedo-passing moves, such as Reflect, Light Screen and Safeguard, which don't require Baton-Pass to make the next Pokemon benefit from it's supreme defense/support powers. Although, all those will vanish after 5 rounds.

Ninjask is good also, learning Swords Dance, Double Team, and Agility. (although, his Speed Boost abilty should cover the Speed stat) Personally, I think he's a tad brittle in this world of people using Metagrosses and Alakazams.

One word: Blissey. Just what it sounds like, a special sponge is a Pokemon that can "soak up" special attacks, meaning it has great Special Defense.

Alfonso: Unfortunately, the biggest problem with Huntail and Gorebyss is that they're too darn slow.

A problem that could be solved with Rain Dance. Obviously, Thunder would be a problem, but Gorebyss isn't indending to stick around long enough for a rival trainer to whip out an Electric type/Pokemon with Thunder. However, if you didn't to go down the RD route, Gorebyss has pretty good Defense and Special Defense. Well, at least according to the 'Pokemon of the Day Chick'. ^_^o

Ninjask is good also, learning Swords Dance, Double Team, and Agility. (although, his Speed Boost abilty should cover the Speed stat) Personally, I think he's a tad brittle in this world of people using Metagrosses and Alakazams.

Like you said tis a world of Metagross, I don't know about Ala. Tis also a world of Earthquake and Brick Break. And Mawile is weak to both. Oh look and it can't learn Sword Dance till FR/LG. And because it is a world of Metagross it should be said that Ninjask is better. Sword on to Metagross is good. Double team is not good for Ninjask. Ninjask should only be open to one move.

Take abilities into account. You can use hold items to make them dangerous.
Like Synchronize and Lum Berry.
Also, some abilities do the work of attacks so don't waste your time. Ninjasak has no need for Agility because of speed boost.
Some abilities are total garabage and should avoid them.
Like Truant, Lighting Rod (Unless its on Rhydon and you do lots of double battles), Arena Trap (except for catching Pokemon), Stench, Illuminate (again unless looking for wild Pokemon), and Runaway.
Anyway, abilities are now very important in determining move sets and held items and if you keep the Pokemon in battle against certain opponents.

As for team composition. Spikers, hazers, and the like aren't worth it. Just have six well rounded Pokemon with qualities of all and you should do fine.

Last edited by The Big Al; 17th April 2004 at 8:40 AM.

Some people don't think it's funny that Exit 69 gets off on Big Beaver.